In today’s Gospel reading, we read the story about how Jesus healed the deaf man:

[Jesus] took [the deaf man] off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”) And [immediately] the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. — Mark 7:33-35

Most of the time, we cannot hear God’s voice because there are obstacles that are preventing us from hearing Him:

Our busyness

Our daily worries and anxieties

The deadlines we have to meet at work

The noises in the real world

The noises in the world of social media

Our sins

Our regrets and frustrations

Our lack of faith that He truly is present

Our laziness to pray

And the list goes on.

Today, let us offer these impediments. Let us offer to God the things that are holding us back from praying, from listening to Him. Let us offer the obstacles that are preventing us from hearing His voice.

For God is always speaking to us, especially in the silence of our hearts. We only need to listen.